(Image source from: x.com)
The Gaza refugee camp in Rafah suffered a devastating Israeli air strike, resulting in the deaths of 45 people, including children. The timing of the attack, just days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to cease operations in Rafah, sparked outrage worldwide. This tragedy has only deepened Israel's isolation over the Gaza conflict. The assault on Rafah began hours after Hamas launched a rocket barrage toward Tel Aviv, most of which were intercepted. Despite a UN court order to halt the operation in Rafah, Israeli forces continued their assault on the border town. The phrase "All eyes on Rafah" has gained momentum on social media as a means of raising awareness about the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Celebrities have added their voices to the movement, using the hashtag #AllEyesOnRafah to show their support for the Palestinians affected by the Israeli strikes.
Over one million Palestinians have been displaced due to the conflict in Rafah, after having already been displaced by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The Palestinians claim that they are vulnerable to Israeli attacks wherever they go, resulting in them moving frequently up and down the Gaza Strip. Recently, when Israeli forces ordered those in the north to evacuate, hundreds of thousands fled south to Rafah. However, Israeli shelling in and around health facilities in Rafah has left only one still operational, causing a humanitarian crisis. Despite global condemnation and a US warning, Israel has vowed to continue the Rafah strike. The situation has caused renewed outrage and outcry from global leaders. The United Nations has warned of an imminent famine, especially in the north of Gaza, and since the Rafah incursion, the UN Chief has become increasingly concerned about malnutrition in the south.
The Israeli military stated that they had attacked a Hamas base in Rafah, causing the demise of two high-ranking Hamas members, Yassin Rabia and Khaled Nagar. They recognized that there were reports of innocent people getting harmed because of the attack and the ensuing blaze, and mentioned that they were looking into the matter. After the deadly attack in Gaza City, the US is under increasing pressure to take a tougher stance. After the International Court of Justice, the highest court of the United Nations, which also includes the USA and Israel, ordered an end to the Israeli attacks on Rafah, questions are increasing as to how long US President Joe Biden can tolerate the attacks. Israeli tanks are now “also in the center and southwest of Rafah,” security officials in the Gaza Strip said. The Gaza war began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians. Israeli retaliatory strikes killed at least 36,096 people in the Gaza Strip.
